Beet topper



Oct. 29, 1940. w JENSEN 2,219,420

BEET TOPPER Filed July 3, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l grwvwbom %f, r Jansen A w. JENSEN BEET TOPPER Oct. 29, 1940. 7

Filed July 3, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,%/Aw If w I Patented Oct. 29, 1940 PATENT OFFICE BEET TOPPER v 2 Arthur W.'J ensen, Salt Lake City, Utah Application July 3, 1939, Serial No. 282,679

2 Claims.

My invention relates to beet toppers-and has for its object to provide a new and 'highlyefiicient topper for cutting the tops of beets from the body of thebeet while the beet is still in the'ground.

A further objectis tofiprovide 'a bee-t topper which has two main new features combined with the other novel features of construction to make a complete and successfully'o-perating beet topper, the two main features being a new type of top cutter and an arrangement of partsso that the operator may guide by one hand the elevation and direction .of the cutter, shifting it to meet the position and size of each beet "being topped.

I-Ieretofore all toppers have been made to top beets in a row with the foregone conclusion that each beet will be in a rowor line with its next succeeding beet and with various mechanical devices to elevate the cutters for graduating sizes of beets but, with my invention; the beets-are topped whether they are in a row or not: and the cutter may be elevated or lowered at will and pleasure of the operator. e

A still further object is to provide a new and highly efficient cutter of a type not used for this purpose, which cutter not .only cuts the top from the beets but at the same time moves the cut top to one side with a screw action. Further, this type of cutter is self sharpening and will not need to be removed and sharpened as other types of cutters. Further, this particular type of screw will provide a slicing, severing action, not possible with the ordinary screw.

These and other objects I accomplishwith the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming' a part of .the application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: I

Figure 1 is a plan view of the topper, parts cut away and removed, for clarity in showing the main features of the device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1 other parts cut away, for showing details.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of the hand control lever for shifting the cutter from side to side and for elevating it when passing over rocks, or for cutting large beets or for travel.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the drive from the floating shaft to the screw cutter.

Figure -5 is a sectional view of the other side of the parallel frame of the drive and support for the cutter.

Figure 6 is a view of my particular form of cutter. e

In the drawings in which I have shown the preferred manner of building my invention, Figure 1 shows as made of a main framework A, mounted on rear wheels B and front support wheels C with suitable means for pulling the topper, that shown being doubletrees for horses, however, a tractor or other means may be employed for drawing the beet topper.

The wheels B are mounted on a drive shaft and axle 5, which carries a large sprocket 6 and near the front end of the framework A there is a depending frame 1 in which a drive 8 is mounted, with a sprocket 9 on one end thereof, said sprocket being driven from the large sprocket by a chain it]. The shaft 8 carries two rearwardly extended housings each being connected to banjo-' type of housings on the shaft 8 and within these housings the take off for the power of the cutter screw D and forthe cleaner fingers E are provided;

Thedrive for the cutter screw D consists of a ring gear 12 mounted on the shaft 8 inside the housing and adapted to rotate with the shaft 8. A bevel pinion l3 meshes with the ring gear l2 and is carried on a shaft M. This shaft I4 extends back to and drives a cross shaft l5 on which the screw cutter D is mounted for rotation.

In the shaft I4 I provide spaced'apart universal joints l6 and II to permit for variation of the elevation and flexibility of the cutter from side to side. Suitable bearings are provided for the outside of the shaft I4 and carry a casing I9 therearound with said casing being provided with ball and socket joints 20 and 2| around the universal joints I6 and I! so that the casing I9 is flexible with the shaft.

The end of the shaft I4 is provided with a bevel pinion 22 which in turn meshes with a ring gear 23 mounted on the shaft [5. This ring gear rotates the shaft and cutter D and is the means of cuttingoff the tops of the beets.

The power for rotating the cleaner fingers E is derived from the shaft 8 by a ring gear 24 driving a pinion 25 which pinion in turn drives a hollow housing or sleeve 26 through the ball joint 21, and the cleaner fingers E are mounted to the lower end of the sleeve 26 in alignment with the end of the cutter D. Centrally through the hollow housing or sleeve there is a brace bar 28. The end of the shaft I5 is carried in the end 28a of the brace bar 28 as the support for that end of the cutter. Extending radially from the end of the bar I8 there are spaced apart rods 29 with the ends of the rods secured to springs (not shown) and which springs are carried in tubular sleeves with the rods 29 operating in the sleeves to provide for variable movement of the skid or elevation bars 3|. These bars are mounted at each end of the shaft l5 and cutter D and have a cross plate 33 joining the front ends together, and said bars and plate are to rest upon and ride the beet tops automatically elevating the cutter to the proper height above the beet so that the proper amount of crown is cut with the beet top. This is provided in addition to the manual control for the cutter so that even though the handle is re-. leased by the operator the device will continue to cut the proper amount from the beet crown;

The cutter D is made as a screw 35 mounted in convolutions around a hollow core 36 which core 36 is mounted onto and rotatable with the shaft l5. It will be obvious that if for any reason it were not desired to rotate the shaft I 5 but only the cutter screw, the ring gear 24 might easily be attached directly to the cutter D and the cutter rotated on the shaft insteadof with the shaft. When the cutter is to be rotated with the shaft, it must necessarily be attached thereto by set screws, keys, or other suitable means.

The means for shifting the cutter from one side to the other to meet the variation of the beets from true alignment and to raise the cutter for large beets is provided by a manual lever L mounted on a cross brace of the framework A in a ball and socket joint with the ball 38 on the lever L in this joint to permit side movement or forward and backward movement. The lower end of the lever is formed in a ball to fit in a socket 39 on an inverted U-shaped frame 4|, and the ends of the frame 4| are mounted onto the ends of the shaft 15. Thus any vertical raise or horizontal shift from side to side may be accomplished with this construction, making it possible for the operator to completely control the machine. A suitable seat S is mounted on a cross bracket in the framework in a lowered position and a foot rest is provided suspended from the frame to keep the operator in a low but restful position.

In the event that the tops are thrown too far out and are too high so that they strike the chain I0, the driving mechanism may be placed on the opposite side of the machine to that shown and also if desired, a clutch mechanism may be employed to stop the action of the cutter while traveling from field to field oralong the road. Such modifications and changes in the mechanical features of the device may be made without H departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims. Having thus described my invention, I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

1. A topper for beets comprising, a framework supported on suitable Wheels; a drive shaft mounted below said framework deriving its power from the rotation of said wheels; a flexible drive shaft from said shaft extending to the beet topper cutter; a screw type of cutter to sever the tops and crown from the beets, said screw to cut the tops and carry them to one side; means to move the cutter from side to side and vertically, as

desired, to meet each successive beet in proper alignment and elevation.

2. A beet topper of the class described comprising, a framework; drive wheels supporting said framework; a sprocket Wheel on the axle of the wheels to obtain rotative power therefrom; a drive shaft mounted spaced from the sprocket wheel having a small sprocket wheel thereon in alignment with the first sprocket; a chain driving the small sprocket from the large one; a flexibledrive shaft extending from said drive shaft and adapted to be rotated therefrom by gear and pinion; a brace bar extending parallel to said flexible shaft: a screw type of cutter mounted between the flexible shaft and brace bar and rotated bythe flexible shaft; .and manual means to elevate the cutter and to shift it from side to side.

ARTHUR W. JENSEN. 

